With U.N. coalition forces bombarding Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi from the sea and air, the United States’ part in the operation could ultimately hit several billion dollars — and require the Pentagon to request emergency funding from Congress to pay for it.

The first day of Operation Odyssey Dawn had a price tag that was well over $100 million for the U.S. in missiles alone. And the U.S. military, which remains in the lead now in its third day, has pumped millions more into air- and sea-launched strikes targeting air-defense sites and ground-force positions along Libya’s coastline.

The ultimate total that the United States spends will hinge on the length and scope of the strikes as well as on the contributions of its coalition allies. But Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, said on Monday that the U.S. costs could “easily pass the $1 billion mark on this operation, regardless of how well things go.”

The Pentagon has the money in its budget to cover unexpected contingencies and can also use fourth-quarter dollars to cover the costs of operations now. “They’re very used to doing this operation where they borrow from Peter to pay Paul,” said Gordon Adams, who served as the Office of Management and Budget’s associate director for national security during the Clinton administration.

[2] Stock up with Fresh Food that lasts with eFoodsDirect (AD): http://www.efoodsdirect.com/

[3] Image: http://prisonplanet.tv/

[4] Cost of Libya Intervention $600 Million for First Week, Pentagon Says: http://www.prisonplanet.com/cost-of-libya-intervention-600-million-for-first-week-pentagon-says.html

[5] Cost of Keeping One U.S. Soldier in Afghanistan Per Year: One Million Dollars: http://www.prisonplanet.com/cost-of-keeping-one-u-s-soldier-in-afghanistan-per-year-one-million-dollars.html

[6] Ten years of Obamacare would cost 1.76 trillon dollars – far more than originally claimed: http://www.prisonplanet.com/ten-years-of-obamacare-would-cost-1-76-trillon-dollars-far-more-than-originally-claimed.html